The year of AI – Part one of 2026 predictions from our partner agencies
AI is the talk of every industry, with B2B tech no exception. It’ll be no surprise then that when we spoke to our partner agencies about the trends they believe will define B2B tech PR in 2026, every conversation came back to AI. From redefining how brands are discovered online to reshaping the skills needed to succeed in PR, as our global team of experts see it, AI is presenting both challenges and opportunities in the year ahead.
1. GEO will be key to defining how brands earn visibility and authority
September 2025 figures show 700 million weekly active users of ChatGPT, only three years after its launch. Appearing in those searches has already become a key driver for many businesses, and that’s only going to climb up the list of priorities in 2026.
This will see Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), the practice of adapting content so it is understood, trusted and ideally surfaced by engines such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Google’s AI Overviews, needing to be built into PR and marketing plans.
Deanna Hoffman, Marketing & Paid Media Manager at V2 Communications, notes how GEO and PR will need to combine to power visibility for B2B tech brands:
“In 2026, GEO will become a defining factor in how brands earn visibility and authority.”
As people increasingly discover information through AI-powered search and chat interfaces, traditional SEO alone won’t cut it. Consistent PR activity will play a critical role in shaping the narratives that generative engines surface, through credible media coverage, thought leadership and well-structured owned content. The earned story will quite literally power discovery, positioning PR at the centre of brand discoverability and influence in the AI era.
Hannah Buckley, Head of Content and Service Development at Whiteoaks International, shares this view:
“2025 has been the year when more and more B2B companies have begun to take notice of AI-driven search. 2026 will be the year when they begin to take it seriously, and waiting another one could be a costly mistake.”
Businesses that fail to factor GEO into their marketing plans will risk falling behind their competitors as decision-makers use AI-search engines to do the bulk of the due diligence for them. Every credible article or citation now doubles as training data for tomorrow’s AI search.
2. AI-powered search tools will favour earned and owned media
Research has found LLMs rely on earned media for nearly two-thirds (61%) of their content about brand reputation, followed by owned media (44%), showing just how integral PR is to AI-search visibility.
Felicity Zadro, Founder and Managing Director at Zadro Agency, highlights:
“Media coverage will become even more important as AI-powered search tools increasingly prioritise it higher than website content.”
Trade outlets, analyst commentary and newsletters are proving to be the kinds of media sources that AI systems draw on when they build an answer to a user query. That’s because mentions and links from reputable news and outlets and authoritative publications provide strong third-party validation.
Liane Lahl, Managing Director at Fortis PR, agrees, stressing that AI-powered search will push brands towards external media sources for visibility:
“Generative AI, GEO-search engines and shrinking journalist pools are making independent media and earned credibility central to discovery, trust and influence.”
Influence will therefore come from how consistently a brand’s narrative appears across credible, independent sources. For B2B organisations, this means reputation will no longer be built only through direct engagement or owned channels. It will depend on how AI systems interpret the signals of trust those external references provide.
Press releases, for example, are now appearing more frequently in AI-generated answers because their structured format mirrors the way LLMs process information. When combined with authoritative media coverage and analyst commentary, they form the foundation of what AI recognises as reliable.
To strengthen that foundation, B2B brands should focus on feeding the ecosystem with credible, data-rich content. Original research, evidence-based insights and quantifiable outcomes are the kind of inputs that reinforce authority both with human readers and with the algorithms shaping brand visibility in AI search.
3. AI will support data-driven strategies and measurement
AI won’t just be pivotal in driving visibility for B2B tech brands online. It’ll also be crucial for PR and marketing professionals when it comes to predicting opinion trends by analysing millions of online sources and recognising patterns, such as shifts in sentiment or emerging keywords.
AI will help with identifying crisis risks in real time by flagging anomalies, such as negative emotions related to a brand. It will also help create granular audience profiles based on behaviour, interests and preferences so that PR professionals can hyper-personalise content to specific target audiences and publications.
As PR teams come under greater pressure to show tangible business impact, AI will support the use of measurement tools that move beyond surface-level indicators. It is a trend that Piers Finzel, owner and Managing Director of Finzel PR, is keeping a keen eye on:
“No more vanity metrics that simply count media clippings, reach or the dreaded EAV. The focus will be on metrics that directly connect PR actions with growth and revenue, as well as customer satisfaction and trust.”
Piers notes that the PR sector in Spain, as in many parts of the world, is in a state of rapid revolution – driven by the proliferation of AI technology on the one hand and by continuous changing client demands on the other.
In 2026, B2B brands will increasingly expect PR programmes to connect activity to metrics, including pipeline influence, revenue contribution and customer loyalty, not just impressions or share of voice. AI will be central to making those connections visible.
4. Human oversight and new skills will define effective AI in PR
AI’s value in generating content drafts, monitoring media and optimising workflows will be significant, but it will never replace human talent, which remains crucial for strategy, ethics and creativity.
For B2B brands, the key to success will lie in mastering AI without losing the human essence of authenticity and values. Human oversight of AI is essential, as it will never replace or replicate emotional intelligence, years of experience or nuanced understanding of local market context.
To maintain that human focus, PR teams will need to invest in skill-building around emerging AI tools, helping to create a new generation of AI-native workers. The 2025 Global AI Jobs Barometer shows that the skills sought by employers are changing 66% faster in positions that are most entrenched in AI.
Bob Gold, Founder, President & CEO of Bob Gold & Associates explains some of the skills that the workforce will need:
“Search and Gen AI will require digital story placements in established news outlets for veracity and increased SEO, but AI will also be crucial in the context of the PR job market. Graduates looking to enter the industry will need demonstrated skills in Gen AI, video production and social media management.”
PR professionals will increasingly act as the bridge between data and human connection, using AI selectively for specific purposes rather than as a wholesale substitute for human judgement. For B2B organisations, this will mean partnering with PR agencies that can combine AI-native skills with in-depth local market understanding.
Those relationships will be central to joining up insight, content and measurement across regions so that AI-enhanced PR activity builds a coherent global narrative while reflecting the realities of individual markets.
Defined by credibility, not just visibility
As 2026 approaches, there’s no doubt that AI will shape how B2B tech brands are discovered, evaluated and trusted. If you would like to discuss how your PR and marketing strategy can capitalise on AI-driven opportunities in your region in 2026 and beyond, our partners across the WIN PR network are ready to support you.
Just contact us at hello@winprgroup.com.
And don’t forget to check back in the new year for part two of our predictions!